Coinciding with the commencement of the winter session of Parliament, Team Anna on Tuesday started yet another exercise to impress upon political parties the need to root for a strong Lokpal that would have jurisdiction over the Prime Minister and the lower bureaucracy.
Team Anna members Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia called on senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, urging them to press for a strong Lokpal at the standing committee level and when the Bill came up in the Lok Sabha.
Mr. Jaitley and Ms. Swaraj assured the team of the party's commitment to a powerful Lokpal.
The standing committee is yet to submit its report, subsequent to which the Union government would prepare the final Bill to be discussed and passed in Parliament.
Team Anna said the appointment of the Lokpal should be independent and his removal should not be vested with the government. In addition to calling for bringing the lower judiciary under the ambit of the Lokpal, the Team has said the Lokpal should have the power to prosecute any official found guilty without having to seek sanction from the government.
Not keeping the lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal, the Team said, would exclude over 57 lakh employees and allow the rut to continue in schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Public Distribution System.
Team Anna aims to meet all the political parties in its bid to ensure that they help pass a legislation that encompasses their views and proposals for an independent Lokpal body.
